Outrage Explodes After North Carolina Woman Gets 30 Days In Jail For Fatal Hit-And-Run

A fatal hit-and-run case in North Carolina is generating national attention after the perpetrator was sentenced to just 30 days in jail and a fine of a little under $800.

Q’Laundra Kadri Hood, 28, entered pleas to felony hit-and-run causing serious injury or death and misdemeanor death by vehicle. In exchange for the pleas, Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge Reggie E. McKnight suspended a longer term of 16 to 29 months and instead imposed 30 days in the Mecklenburg County Jail as a condition of 36 months of supervised probation, along with $765 in restitution.

The crash occurred around 5:47 p.m. on January 14, 2026, in the 3300 block of The Plaza near East 36th Street in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood. Officers found 25-year-old Lance Andreas Jesus Sotelo seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle.

Sotelo died before he could be transported to a hospital. Investigators determined that Hood, driving a white Chevrolet Impala, ran a red light at the intersection of The Plaza and East 36th Street and struck Sotelo, who was running. Speed was also identified as a contributing factor.

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🚨#BREAKING: Outrage is erupting in Charlotte NC after a Black woman who ran a RED LIGHT, hitting a 25-year-old White man out for a run, and DROVE AWAY while he DIED ON THE STREET…

…was sentenced to ONLY 30 DAYS in jail.

Yes, you read that right… THIRTY DAYS.

His name… pic.twitter.com/wFkU6L4nB1

— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) September 22, 2026

Following the crash, Hood left the scene, traveling southwest on The Plaza. She turned herself in the following day at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Hickory Grove Division.

Sotelo had graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2025. He competed for six years on the men’s cross-country and track and field teams, served as student body president, and completed a master’s degree in business administration. He also worked as a graduate assistant in student engagement.

Hood had originally faced additional charges that included involuntary manslaughter, driving without an operator’s license, and failing to stop at a red light. Those were resolved through the plea agreement.

Court records and police affidavits indicated Hood did not have a valid license at the time and later stated she left because she was scared. After returning home, she discussed the incident with family members who encouraged her to surrender to police.

At the sentencing hearing, Hood addressed Sotelo’s family, apologized, and asked for forgiveness. Sotelo’s mother, Jeanne, told the court she forgave Hood but could not forget what occurred. Sotelo’s partner, James Holt, spoke about the desire for accountability.

The sentence requires Hood to serve the 30-day jail term and complete three years of probation. In addition, she must pay $765 in restitution.

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